BEIJING -- Canadian Ambassador to China David Mulroney on Monday extended his sympathies to the family of a Chinese student who was allegedly murdered by a Canadian man, adding that the incident is atypical in Canada.

"What happened was a tragedy. It was not part of a pattern. And our hearts go to Lin Jun's family," Mulroney said while participating in an online interview with Chinese netizens.

"(The case) has led to a real outpouring of sympathy among Canadians. It's a terrible thing. But If you look at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's statistics, Canada ranks as one of the safest countries in the world by any measure," he said.

According to Montreal police, Lin Jun, a 33-year-old Chinese man studying in Canada, was killed on May 24 or 25. Luka Rocco Magnotta, a 29-year-old Canadian porn actor, allegedly hacked Lin's body to pieces and posted a grisly video online that is believed to depict the act.

Magnotta had flown from Canada to France and then fled to Berlin before being apprehended in an Internet cafe on June 4.

The interview touched on a wide range of issues, including China-Canada economic and trade relations. China's economic dynamism has impressed everyone and also helped Canada in the last two or three years, Mulroney said.

"The next part of that cooperation has moved from resources, where we have strong cooperation, to science and technology, where we have a lot of mutual benefits," Mulroney said.

"I'd like to see increasing emphasis on trade and technology sectors where Canada is also very strong. And just as we had great Chinese investments in Canada, I'd like to see even more Canadian investments in China," Mulroney said.

Mulroney also explained Canada's immigration policy, stating that China is one of the top sources of immigrants to Canada.